Author: Troy Jackson

The Cover of the…

Posted on by Troy Jackson

RIP, Ray Sawyer, the eye-patched co-lead singer of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show who passed away earlier this week.

Sawyer’s vocals are featured on the iconic hit, “The Cover of the Rolling Stone”, a satirical romp on making it big. If you’ve never checked out this crew doing their thing on this cut, it’s worth a search and brings a smile. It also leaves you wondering just what these guys were up to and to what degree their performances reflect a bit of chemically influenced reality versus an entertaining batch of leg pulling. At any rate, they sure looked like they enjoyed their craft.

A tongue in cheek assessment of the pinnacle of rock stardom was offered up in the following bit of the Shel Silverstein penned lyrics:

“Wanna see my smilin’ face on the cover of the Rollin’ Stone.”

Well, they made it once upon a time, in caricature. Mission accomplished by this wild crew who produced plenty of smiling faces on those who with an ear on their craft and an eye on their antics.

And being that this is an “outdoor” website, I do have a tie in to the world of fishing and one of its publications. While Illinois Game & Fish may not pack the star powered punch of Rolling Stone, it is kind of cool to see your smilin’ face looking back at you from the cover.

Don’t know what fraction of Andy Warhol’s “fifteen minutes” the 2010 appearance might rate but still fun nonetheless. Got a larger shot and a shout out in the accompanying article as well but that is a tale for another day, perhaps this spring.

Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Lyric of the Month – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Much appreciated if you are back for more as we take a look at the second half of the lines from 2018.

July
“Everyone’s feeling pretty, it’s hotter than July.”
Master Blaster (Jammin’) – Stevie Wonder (1980)
Several months ago, a Facebook group that I follow posed the question of who is the greatest singer or musician of all-time. I narrowed it down to those I have seen or heard in my lifetime and sure think it would be tough to beat this fella.

August
“I feel it in the air, the summer’s out of reach.”
The Boys of Summer – Don Henley (1984)
I chose this one as once August rolls around these days I always feel that the summer is done since school starts so much earlier than when I was a kid. I always dug some of the imagery that Henley’s lyrics conjured up and as a 17 year-old kid “I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun” was quite fascinating.

September
“Hey, I heard you missed us, we’re back.”
Hot for Teacher – Van Halen (1984)
Just like the song above, here’s another one from the start of my senior year of high school. And if you have enjoyed that phase of life, are familiar with this tune and lived in the early days of MTV, well, you know where I’m coming from. If you have yet to hit to hit that age, enjoy it, and know that if we could trade places for a few days…

October
“We could exist on the stars, it’d be so easy.”
Miracles – Jefferson Starship (1975)
Hey, what do you know? Another love song and this one is a winner. Marty Balin croons it from the heart with nearly seven entertaining minutes of rambling without rhyme that just hits the spot. Sadly, my reason for selecting this cut was Balin’s passing on September 27, 2018.

November
“When the days get shorter and the nights get long.”
She’s So Cold – Rolling Stones (1980)
Proving that there is a method to my madness, this one was chosen to coincide with the onset of Daylight Savings Time and the coming Winter Solstice. I’m a science guy at heart and dedicated music buff so it’s kind of fun when it all of that potentially useless knowledge upstairs all comes together.

December
“It snowed today, its cold here for November.”
If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do) – Don Williams (1982)
Lots of stuff going on here. Always a treat to hear the “Gentle Giant” who passed away in September 2017. And his reference in this classic tune to Burt Reynolds was also timely as “The Bandit/Gator/Paul Crewe” had died in September 2018. Finally, a near 14” Thanksgiving weekend snowstorm deserved a shout out.

Okay, thanks to those of you who have hung in there for the musical interlude of this outdoor website. We now sort of resume our regular programming with a music/fishing tribute piece up next before moving on to some 2018 and all-time Top 5 stats. Actually have some fish up next week as well with the earliest start ever to our Top 5 project. In fact, the first catch of 2019 will never be beaten only equaled. Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Lyric of the Month – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As you may or may not know, each new month features a new lyric tucked away at the bottom of the webpage as an added feature. All for fun and gives me an excuse to share my passion for tunes alongside some fish, family, fellow anglers, nature and whatever else crosses my mind as those wheels are always turning.

Right on schedule, there’s a new lyric down there but since it’s also the beginning of the New Year, I’ve also got a bunch of lyrics up here too. For the “outdoor” posts of the next two days it’s a look back at the dozen batches of lines, titles, artists and years that graced the footer as “Lyric of the Month” in 2018. Of course, I add a little two cents as well in this recap as I enjoy talking tunes as much as tackle.

January
“It’ll be just like starting over, starting over.”
(Just Like) Starting Over, John Lennon (1980)
Such a shame that Lennon’s new start after an extended absence from the music business was senselessly ended only six weeks after this song was released as a single.

February
“But February made me shiver…”
American Pie, Don McLean (1971)
One of my earliest memories from the AM dial. Didn’t understand it then, sort of do a bit more now but simply epic, nostalgic, and tragic and that good, old “drove my Chevy to the levee” line is still a favorite piece of lyrical artistry pushing 50 years later.

March
“I’m your vehicle, baby, I’ll take you anywhere you wanna go.”
Vehicle, Ides of March (1970)
While a little creepy as “I’m a friendly stranger in a black sedan won’t you hop inside my car” and so on, this one jams with some soul and a horn section. Kind of fun that the songwriter and Ides’ leader, Jim Peterik, would find future stardom with his band, Survivor.

April
“The thoughts of a fool’s kind of careless, I’m just a fool waiting on the wrong block.”
Fool in the Rain, Led Zeppelin (1979)
The best songs are love songs, no matter the presentation, fast, slow or samba. And when you can’t suppress a smile or resist the urge to sing along to the tale of a soggy, broken hearted fool who doesn’t know it or won’t admit it, that’s musical magic. Six minutes later, I’m happy when I should feel bad for the guy.

May
“If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now, it’s just a spring clean for the May queen.”
Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin (1971)
Oft cited as one of the greatest rock cuts of all-time and I would have to agree, it simply doesn’t get old. It’s always fun too, when you get more than one song wrapped into one song (see also “Band on the Run”).

June
“Man, it’s a hot one, like seven inches from the midnight sun.”
Smooth, Santana featuring Rob Thomas (1999)
Hard to believe this one is going to turn 20 years old, time flies. This one was fitting for a late spring heatwave and was just fun proof that a lifetime of listening has left me with a lyric (or two or three or…) for every occasion. Drives my kids (and sometimes Julie) nuts but amuses myself.

And tomorrow gives me another occasion to ramble with the second batch. Talk to you later. Troy

Trip Tune Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A New Year’s Eve highlight while growing up was something called “The Big 89 Countdown” featured on Chicago’s WLS 890 AM radio. The annual rundown of each year’s hits ran from 1967 through 1986 with my listening heyday being the mid-70s into the 80s. The countdown would kick off in the evening and run you right up to the midnight reveal of the year’s top tune. Awesome stuff for a young radio buff, stat kid and fan of countdowns/lists. Call me a goof, but I actually used to get out the notebook paper and make my own list as the disc jockeys spun the way to number one.

Oh, what a countdown, late December back in 1976…the rest of the archives can be found by clicking here

Here on the blog I have managed to find a way to work in some of those old tunes under the guise of outdoor stuff with a feature that I call “Top 10 Trip Tunes.” For those not familiar with the concept, I compile a list of the Top 10 songs that grace the airwaves during the round trip to the fishing hole (typically an hour or so each way). Thus far, these blog postings have racked up a total of 115 tunes (a shorter outing featured only a Top 5) going back to the first go round from a September 2, 2017 outing.

So, what the heck, it’s time for some stats as we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.

Top 10 Trip Tunes – Top Artists (by appearance)
4 – Led Zeppelin
3 – Blondie
Boston
The Cars
ELO
Jackson Browne
Jefferson Starship
Orleans

Top 10 Trip Tunes – Top Decades
1970s – 77 tunes
1980s – 28 tunes
1960s – 6 tunes
1990s – 2 tunes
2000s – 1 tune
2010s – 1 tune

Top 10 Trip Tunes – Top 10 Years (including my Top Hit)
1978 – 19 tunes (Right Down the Line – Gerry Rafferty)
1975 – 12 tunes (Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd)
1979 – 11 tunes (Fool in the Rain – Led Zeppelin)
1976 – 9 tunes (The Boys are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy)
1981 – 8 tunes (Watching the Wheels – John Lennon)
1980 – 7 tunes (Stomp – The Brothers Johnson)
1973 – 6 tunes (Reelin’ in the Years – Steely Dan)
1977 – 6 tunes (Lido Shuffle – Boz Scaggs)
1970 – 4 tunes (Your Song – Elton John)
1972 – 4 tunes (Doctor My Eyes – Jackson Browne)
1974 – 4 tunes (Killer Queen – Queen)

Okay, I won’t keep you any longer as I’ve fed my music fix for the time being. Kind of fun for me and up for interpretation as to whether it says more about the listener or the formats of my favorite presets on the truck radio dial. Plenty more hits were included along those rides and I suspect that there will be several more batches as the 2019 fishing season unfolds.

For tonight, I suggest that you find some of your favorite tunes, old or new, and crank ‘em up as you count down the final hours of 2018. Happy New Year to all and talk to you later. Troy

2018 Fishing Recap – Partners

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another important piece of the 2018 recap takes a look at the folks who joined me in the boat or on the bank as we enjoyed a common hobby. I’ve spent a lot of time flying solo on the water in recent years, thus kind of getting used to the solitude. But it’s always refreshing to share time on the water with fishing buddies for many reasons.

It’s fun to shoot the breeze and swap fish stories new and old while creating another batch.

You can also teach those who are a bit less experienced or who are up for a new trick.

On the flipside, you can always learn something from observing a different approach or mindset as no two anglers are exactly alike and no one knows it all.

Two lures in the water looking to fool some fish are always better than one.

You’ve also got an assist in carrying/launching the boat and lugging gear.

I’ll leave it at that and let the video below of some 2018 catches cover the rest of today’s post.

Up tomorrow is what I consider a fitting year-end countdown. Then, as we enter the New Year, I am looking to put a wrap on the 2018 Top 5 project with a look at the final stats as well as the cumulative numbers from 2014-2018. From there who knows as I’ve got plenty of ideas but not always plenty of time. Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Fishing Recap -Lures

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I always thought it would be interesting to look back through my fishing logs to see what my personal record is for “Most Different Lures That Fooled a Bass in One Year.”

Hands down, 2018 wasn’t it.

A project for another time, perhaps.

Instead, for today’s 2018 recap we take a look at the relatively meager collection of baits that boated 216 bass.

Grubs
Yum Wooly Curltail (green pumpkin) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 9.5” September 23 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: I do like this lure but in hindsight I’m not sure of my reason for throwing it this fall other than possibly just to say I did because I had it tied on to one of my poles. A solid cold water bait which is effective when crawled slowly along the bottom…like I said, not really sure but glad to see a less than glamorous lure make an appearance.

Stickbaits
Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 15” 1-11 September 30 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: I’d worn out my welcome on one of my favorite walk-in spots as the bass were less than interested in my spinnerbait offerings in spite of some pretty good conditions. Looking for a big bite that the fishing hole has been known to produce I went old school. Didn’t fool a lunker but good to get bit. In addition, I had talked Spook fishing with my buddy, Jim Junk, a few days prior so it stoked the fire to revisit an offering that was a 80s favorite and not surprisingly still fools ‘em.

Jigs
Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (green pumpkin) w/ craw trailer – 3 bass
Top Bass: 16” 1-15 November 24 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: When an unanticipated trip materialized and provided a shot a November bass, I was all in with two baits. This was one of them and I stepped out of my normal black/blue jig & pig comfort zone with a different color scheme and a plastic trailer. Seeing a guy catch a 5-9 on the lake the previous month with a similar setup was all the evidence I needed.

Lipless Crankbaits
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 26 bass
Top Bass: 14.5” 1-13 April 13 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: A solid cool water bait, the lipless crank got it done again, early and late. With the exception of a lone July bass, the rest were near bookends on the year. The first batch came from February through April while the last half dozen came from mid to late October. A true favorite for what I reluctantly refer to as “brainless” bassing. Nothing too fancy here as I used only one color this year when casting it out, cranking it back, covering some water and catching some fish.

Buzzbaits
Booyah Buzz (snow white shad, bleeding shad, sexy shad) – 27 bass
Top Bass: 20” 4-8 September 23 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: I probably invest more time in tossing buzzbaits than I should but they are not only a solid big fish producer, they’re fun and addictive. For big fish proof, my 2018 Top Bass came on a buzzbait. However, that was the only Top 5 fish among those fooled on the buzzer, just kind of a weird year on the water.

Plastic Worms
Senko wacky rig (pumpkin black flake, green pumpkin black flake) – 46 bass
Top Bass: 17” 1-14 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: The Senko wacky rig would probably rank number one among the presentations in my repertoire. And while it sounds like a broken record at this point, I just couldn’t put it in front of any big fish and get them to commit. Don’t for a minute think that those results will discourage this wacky worm devotee though. 2018 was just one of those years.

Spinnerbaits
Booyah Blade (white/chartreuse) – 52 bass
Top Bass: 16” 2-3 April 13 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: My 2017 lure wrap-up piece mentioned that the good old spinnerbait, a mainstay from my formative bassing years in the 80s, was still mired in a bit of a disappearing act. Fortunately, while I still have subscriptions to those who have relegated this lure to the second string, I don’t subscribe to that school of thought. These baits are still a winner in my book and I highly encourage all six of you who read this to pass it on and see if we can bring about a spinnerbait resurgence in 2019.

Crankbaits
Strike King Rattling Squarebill, Mann’s Baby 1-, Rapala Shad Rap/Fat Rap – 60 bass
Top Bass: 18” 3-2 September 23 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: Yet another batch of baits that typically allow me to fish fast and cover a lot of water. The exception in the group would be the Rapala Shad Rap which I have put to good use the last couple years in fooling some cold water bass. Another highlight was landing a bass on a Rapala Fat Rap for the first time in nearly 20 years as part of a tribute to former Major Leaguer, Rusty Staub, who passed away on March 29, 2018 (click here for post).

And there you have it, all of the lures that landed a bass in 2018. You see, who needs a tackle bag stuffed with a hundred lures when about a dozen will take you all the way through the year?

Actually, I do, even if it can be a back breaker lugging that arsenal around the strip mines. Because you just never know when you’re going to need that one lure that your gut tells you is just right. And you’re gonna kick yourself when you realize that its home in the garage. Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Fishing Recap – Location

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This year, I found out where 216 bass lived. More than a few came from some regular stomping grounds so perhaps I’d already met some of them over the years. Today we take a general look at where those fish call home. While they came from spots like Freak’s Point, 2X4 Lake, Silo Bend and The Moose Hump I won’t get quite that specific as fishing is a pursuit that lends itself to a little mystery and more than a few secrets.

All the spots reside inside with a bit of a peek below

Grand Totals
Bass = 216
Bodies of water = 23
Comments: Once again, a big batch of little waters produced the vast majority of my bass. Those small waters consisted of the standard collection of public and private Knox County strip mines, many that I have been fishing since the 1980s. The largest lake I fished was Lost Grove Lake in Scott County, Iowa which comes in at about 400 acres and I also put in a few hours on good old Lake Storey just north of Galesburg, Illinois which comes in at 133 acres.

Access
Bank Bass (Northerner boots, biking and hiking) = 107 bass
Little Boat Bass (near 40 year old 8’ johnboat) = 74 bass
Big Boat Bass (1987 Bass Tracker Pro 17) = 35 bass
Comments: I have put far more miles on pairs of boots and sets of oars than I have ever racked up on trolling motors or outboards. 2018 was no exception as the only times I took advantage of the “big boat” was a June strip mine jaunt and a pair of October outings on Lake Storey. It was a near 50/50 split between bank and boat catches this year and while it takes some work, my fishing on foot locales can sure fill up a few pages of the log during a day hike.

The Waters (from least to most caught)

Lost Grove Lake – Scott County, IA (3 visits 5/28, 7/18, 7/25)
7 bass
5.50 hours
1.27 bass/hour
Top Bass: 1-6 (13.5”) Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 4-13 (1-6,1-5,1-2,1-0)
Comments: After landing some quality bass on this relatively young lake in 2017, I took a step backwards in 2018 as I really struggled to find some bites. Abundant, scattered and somewhat random surface vegetation still make this developing fishery a challenge as the weather warms. Need to make a note to see what it has to offer earlier in the year in 2019, ideally before the weeds take hold.

Lake Storey – Knox County, IL (2 visits – 10/18 and 10/19)
20 bass
12.00 hours
1.67 bass/hour
Top Bass: 1-9 (14.5”) Strike King Rattling Squarebill crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 7-1 (1-9,1-8,1-7,1-6,1-3)
Comments: Always a treat when I get on this old favorite as its bass population can be a challenging bunch. I was pleased with the catch rate on my two visits and the bass were just flat out healthy though none for me in the trophy category. Did witness a few quality catches by my fishing partner, more on that later this week. One suspected toothy encounter with a surface thrash at boatside as I absentmindedly lifted my spinnerbait from the water oblivious to that whole Figure 8 thing.

Knox County, IL Private Strip Mines (11 visits, 3 lakes, 2/27 through 11/24)
82 bass
43.00 hours
1.91 bass/hour
Top Bass: 4-8 (20”) Booyah Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 13-11 (4-8,3-0,2-6,1-15,1-14)
Comments: What a difference a year makes as my Top 5 from these old fishing holes for 2018 was barely half of the 26-13 I somehow fooled in 2017. Pretty tough to top though considering that was my best haul ever. I must admit I was pretty excited to fill out my Top 5 with 7-3 during a February visit but never made many more big leaps the rest of the way. Fished my productive spots and worked them over good but just couldn’t find many big bites.

Knox County, IL Public Strip Mines (5 visits, 18 lakes, 4/13 through 9/30)
107 bass
17.50 hours
6.11 bass/hour
Top Bass: 3-2 (18”) Strike King Rattling Squarebill Crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 11-13 (3-2,2-9,2-3,2-0,1-13)
Comments: A controlled burn on some of my public walk-in strip mine ground really produced a big batch of April bass as the access was incredibly easy. It allowed for an increase in pond hopping and permitted me to hit most of my favorites each outing. In contrast, my July and September visits were marked by much tougher walking which limited the spots I could hit over the course of the day. As a result, April produced 78 of the 107 bass that these areas gave up for the year. And it only took about 20 miles of hiking and/or biking.

That’s the “where” part of the recap and coming tomorrow is the “what” as we take a look at the lures that got the job done. Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Fishing Recap – Numbers

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, with less than a week to go in 2018 and a number of factors (primarily work) not working in my favor, I think it’s safe to go ahead a kick off my annual fishing recap. Over the years I have taken to spreading the recap out over several posts and so it is with the 2018 version.

Leading it off today is a look at the overall numbers. More specific breakdowns are headed your way over the next several days delving into locations, lures and partners.

How it all began, February 27, 2018 with ice visible at top of the photo 

Grand Totals (bass fishing only)
19 outings (37 outings in 2017)
78.00 hours fishing (135.50 in 2017)
216 bass (416 bass in 2017)
2.77 bass/hour (3.08 bass/hour in 2017)
Comments: After posting a personal best of 416 bass last year I was pretty certain that 2018 would show a considerable decrease. In 2017, the first year of having my own blog, the aim was to hit the water pretty hard and I did. This year, on the other hand, was quite busy with the real stuff that I do like being a husband, father and co-breadwinner. Any time that I can get out to the fishing holes is a winner and I was quite pleased with the amount that I was able to get away. In addition, I was happy with the quantity of bass that entered the log during those hours on the water. Quality bass were elusive, however. More on that in a bit.

2/27/18 at 10:06am First bass of the year

First Bass/Last Bass
February 27 – Private strip mine 10:06am 15” 1-7 Rapala Shad Rap
November 24 – Private strip mine 1:58pm 15.5” 1-12 Jig & Craw
Comments: Couldn’t duplicate the 2017 bookends as I led off last year with a crazy 6-2 bass and wrapped it up in solid fashion with a 2-4. A 270 day season for 2018 was pretty cool though as the February open water start was quite out of the ordinary. It did fall just a few days short of the 273 day span enjoyed in 2017 but I just couldn’t extend it even though there was still some open water this week.

11/24/18 at 1:58pm Last bass of the year

Monthly Breakdown
February – 1 trip, 7 bass, Top Day Weight (2/27) = 7-3
March – 1 trip, 3 bass, none 12” or better
April – 3 trips, 82 bass, Top Day Weight (4/13) = 10-4
May – 3 trips (1 bass trip), 3 bass, Top Day Weight (5/28 – 1 bass) = 1-5
June – 2 trips, 27 bass, Top Day Weight (6/17) = 6-8
July – 4 trips, 15 bass, Top Day Weight (7/28 – 3 bass) = 3-5
August – no outings
September – 2 trips, 44 bass, Top Day Weight (9/23) = 12-7
October – 4 trips, 30 bass, Top Day Weight (10/18) = 6-2
November – 1 trip, 5 bass, Top Day Weight (11/24 – 3 bass) = 5-2
Comments: I was pretty hyped after open water in February allowed me to fool enough decent bass to fill my Top 5 limit on the first outing of the year. Pretty slim pickens after that with the exception of some solid batches of walk-in strip mine bass in April and September. October was also a good time with a pair of visits to Lake Storey and some really good fish from a fishing partner. Those highlights to come as recap week continues.

9/23/18 Top Bass 4-8 Knox County public strip pit

Top 5 Weight
15-9 (4-8,3-2,3-0,2-9,2-6)
Comments: If I had to pick one downside of my 2018 results it would have to be my inability to fool many quality bass. My struggle in finding those big bites resulted in my consecutive 20-pound Top 5 string coming to an end. Since the inception of our Top 5 project back in 2014 I had been able to fool at least 20 pounds each year. Just one of those things that wasn’t meant to be as I fished hard, chased ‘em where some quality fish swim and fished clean in not losing any good fish that I had on the line. Wait ‘til next year though…

Folks, we’ve only scratched the surface as I dig indulging in my penchant for stats. Back tomorrow with a look at location. Talk to you later. Troy

Twelfth Day of Christmas

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Twelve pounds of Trilene,
eleven months of bassing,
ten miles of walking,
nine holes of fishing,
eight nights of camping,
seven hours of sleeping,
six months of burning,
five pounds of bass,
four kids all fishing,
three weeks of winter,
two Northerner boots,
and one transistor radio.

Life is full of choices.

And when it comes to consumer goods these days, there are way too many for a guy who grew up with one kind of Coca-Cola. I also remember a time when you ordered an “iced tea” and it didn’t take an entire conversation. You just got a glass of tea (no sugar, no lemon, no raspberry, no peach, no green…).

So, anytime I can keep it simple, I’m all in.

That’s why, when it comes to fishing line, I’m a monofilament man. After all, it mirrors my lifestyle; old school, cheap and a creature of habit.

Sure, the myriad collection of braids, fluorocarbons and superlines that span the aisles of department store fishing sections or grace the pages of catalogs or advertise on websites all have their merits. I don’t doubt their effectiveness and have dabbled in their likes over the years but it’s just all too much. Too much decision and too much cash.

For my money, good old Trilene mono in 12-pound test does the job (also use 10-pound on spinning reels). I’ve been doing this for a long time and generally speaking, when you lose a fish it has more to do with the person holding the reel than the line the reel is holding. My Trilene is always up to the task and I’ll take the heat for the ones that get away.

Reels wind up lacking on line by the end of the year so time to ask Santa to restock my stocking.

There you have it, the finale of my latest, mostly outdoor version of the 12 Days of Christmas. May try to squeeze in a few more posts before the year ends and then move on to a batch of wrap-up posts in the New Year.

Happy Holidays to all and talk to you later. Troy

Eleventh Day of Christmas

Posted on by Troy Jackson

…eleven months of bassing
ten miles of walking
nine holes of fishing
eight nights of camping,
seven hours of sleeping,
six months of burning,
five pounds of bass,
four kids all fishing,
three weeks of winter,
two Northerner boots,
and one transistor radio.

 

2019 calendar featuring a few potentially important dates in a new fishing year…stay tuned

I have often mentioned my annual bass fishing goal of a March catch to kick off the year and a November catch to end it. Traditional bookends to another year of fishing no matter the results in between.

Got it done in 2018 and then some with a bonus bass before the shortest month of the year gave way to the much anticipated month that harbors the official beginning of spring. Yep, I managed to sneak in a February 27 trip to post my first bass and called it a year right about nine months later with my final catches coming on November 24. I did miss out on an August trip so in the interest of accuracy and honesty I really only caught a bass in nine months of the year.

For 2019 I’m looking to correct that and if the weather cooperates kick it up one more notch with a December bass to end the year. Time and Mother Nature will tell if I can get it done as you never know what the weather holds in store around West Central Illinois. In fact, this year we’d already had over a foot of snow before we even hit this final month.

Of course, there’s also January as a possibility though I am not much for icefishing. However, I do have a youngster, Jayce, who has expressed interest in that potentially frigid pursuit. We even went out and got the needed gear this past February but an earlier than normal thaw left it all sitting in the garage.

We’ll see how it all shakes out as the next year progresses. But first we’ve still got another week of 2018 to go and one more day of Christmas to put a wrap on this series. Talk to you later. Troy